If we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speaker’s exact words (direct speech), but reported (indirect) speech. Therefore, you need to learn how to transform direct speech into reported speech. The structure is a little different depending on whether you want to transform a statement, question or request.
When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| direct speech | “I speak English.” |
| reported speech (no backshift) | He says that he speaks English. |
| reported speech (backshift) | He said that he spoke English. |
When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:
Also note that you have to:
| Type | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| with interrogative | direct speech | “Why don’t you speak English?” |
| reported speech | He asked me why I didn’t speak English. | |
| without interrogative | direct speech | “Do you speak English?” |
| reported speech | He asked me whether / if I spoke English. | |
When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| direct speech | Carol, speak English. |
| reported speech | He told Carol to speak English. |
Apart from the above mentioned basic rules, there are further aspects that you should keep in mind, for example: